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ARC-Review: IF YOU SEE HER by Shiloh Walker

Hope Carson may not look like a survivor, but she has escaped an abusive ex-husband and recovered from a vicious assault. Now she endures the painful memories and suspicious rumors surrounding her involvement in the attack. Her ex is a cop, so the last people she trusts are law enforcement officials—and she certainly doesn’t trust how the local DA makes her feel inside.

Remy Jennings should know better. He has no business falling for a woman who he suspects may have a deeply troubled mind. And even if he did make a move, she’d bolt like a frightened rabbit. But how can he deny a burning desire that threatens to consume him? As Hope’s past catches up with her in the worst way, Remy is determined to break through her defenses, earn her trust, and keep her safe in his arms—before it’s too late.

Title: IF YOU SEE HERAuthor: Shiloh WalkerSeries: Ash Trilogy, book 2Genre: Romantic SuspensePublisher: Ballantine BooksYear of release: 2012, January 31Format: Mass Market PaperbackSource: Received a digital ARC from author for review

First line: “She’s a disturbed woman, I’m afraid to say.”

Memorable Scenes: – haircut scene > I read it with a lump in my throat, what a powerful and pivotal scene for Hope! – the scene in the cabin > nailbiting!

Fear and running away from it have ruled Hope Carson’s life, but no more. Though on the surface Hope might seem a fragile, weak, quiet woman, there’s a strong, willful person inside and after the attack this side of her really came through. This side was also triggered by Remington ‘Remy’ Jennings, the DA investigating the attack.

Remy is attracted to Hope from the first time he sees her but he knows he has to thread carefully around her and not just because she’s a person of interest in the investigation. Remy is pragmatic and dutiful and I loved it when his naughty, sexy side emerged.

The romance between Remy and Hope was set up brilliantly and I loved it. It developed gradually but intense and it was very well balanced with the suspense. Though the focus was on the development of the emotional relationship and not so much the physical side of the romance, Shiloh Walker still managed to give me that tingly feeling you get when you’re reading sexy stuff. It’s all about the quality and not the quantity!

I really enjoyed seeing Ezra and Lena and catching a glimpse of how they were doing after their HEA in book 1. And of course Ms. Walker also gave me a tiny look ahead by hinting at the couple that will be starring in the third and final book of this fabulous trilogy. It’s safe to say this is a trilogy that has me anticipating like crazy. Book 1 I anticipated because I was dying for this new romantic suspense trilogy Shiloh was tweeting about for months. Book 2 I anticipated because…well have you read book 1? With an ending like that you can’t but want to read book 2 straight away. And now I’m anticipating book 3 because I suspect this couple is going to rock the house down and of course there will be the answer to the all important question: Who is the effing killer?

What can I say about the plot? Shiloh Walker continued the brilliant plot she set up in the first book of this trilogy and managed to keep me guessing like a crazy paranoid woman, going from suspecting one person after the other and not trusting anyone. I was changing my mind every other page. There was even a point in the book I started suspecting there wasn’t just one killer…maybe a stalker too…or two killers working independently from each other. By the end of the book I was back to the amount of suspects I had at the end of the first book only the composition of the group has slightly changed. My bet is still on two certain persons but I have added and taken away a few others. And this is just a small example of how she made me bounce around like one of those bobble-head dolls you see on some cars’ dashboards.

Ms. Walker is a master of this kind of romantic suspense. The way she writes it just pulls you in and doesn’t let go until well after finishing the book. She has a knack for combining gritty edge-of-your-seat suspense with powerful attraction and romance that develops in a subtle and realistic way. Add to that her awesome characters who are flawed —by which I mean that they’re not picture perfect and own their issues— and genuine, and I can’t but gush about Shiloh “effing awesome” Walker’s writing.

You all know how much I love my multiple POVs and in this book, as with the previous book, I was given plenty. And it was never overwhelming or out of place. I even got the bad guy’s POV and I love romantic suspense books that give me that. So thank you, Ms. Walker for writing another book that has me chomping at the bit to get to the next one.

IF YOU SEE HER is a great second book in this trilogy that is definitely becoming part of my favorites in the romantic suspense genre. I was captivated from the moment I started till the moment I finished, not only by the suspense but also by the characters and the romance. And isn’t that what romantic suspense is all about?

Favorite Quotes:
Just looking at her made him think about things he had forgotten he wanted, but they weren’t things he needed to have in mind when he was looking at her.

Lust reached up and grabbed him around the throat, squeezing and choking the air from his lungs even as it heated the blood in his veins. This was the absolute last woman on earth he should want—she was trouble, in so many ways. She was troubled, and that was just one of the reasons he didn’t need this. This was the absolute last woman on earth he wanted to want—she just plain and simple was trouble—he could feel that in his bones. And yet, as he stared into those big, green eyes, he did want. Hell, did he want.

Remy was damned glad she wasn’t looking at him because he almost swallowed his tongue when he saw her. Oh, holy shit, he was screwed. She was wearing bright, vivid green and her pale, silken skin glowed against the silk. His hands itched to touch all that smooth, soft skin and damn, there was a lot of it bared. The halter top left her shoulders and arms exposed, ended just where her low- rise jeans started. She sighed, her shoulders rising with the movement and he caught a glimpse of her belly. Another glimpse of pale, pale skin . . . Oh, hell, was he screwed.

Hope glanced up and met Remy’s gaze in the mirror, then looked at the shirt he held out. It was a faded blue button- down and without touching it, she knew it would smell of him. She’d sleep with the smell of him on her skin. Her heart raced even thinking about it.

Aahhhhh, Shiloh Walker at her best is something I *heart* too ;) I want to wait until I have all three of her books in my possession! I started book one but new at some point I didn’t want to wait till next book was released. So I’ll wait, for now, and when Ive got a long weekend off will read these three books!